Monday, February 21, 2011

He'll Get Over It

I'm back from Washington...and now also Dallas (happy birthday, Dad), so now seems as good as time as any to update the blog.

I'll try not to get too sports-heavy here, but spring training is upon as pitchers and catchers reported to camp last weekend. If you don't follow baseball, first, shame on you. But second, the Texas Rangers have had some unexpected drama with their roster in the past month. Michael Young, the team's captain and all-time hits leader in club history, unexpectedly demanded a trade...publicly calling out team management for having lied to him and manipulated him during the off-season. I'll spare you the deep background as to how this messy debacle came about, as well as my own opinion about who shares the greatest blame, but know that Young is undoubtedly one of the most popular members of the Rangers. It would be a close race between Josh Hamilton and Young for a fan favorite, but there's little doubt that Young has been the heart and soul of a team that has seen many bad years. Until last year's run to the World Series, no active player had played in more games without making it to the playoffs than Michael Young. He has been the proverbial face of the franchise; a bright light amidst seasons of October darkness. It's with that background I give you this priceless video:

Awwww.

Evidently, Michael Young saw this video and decided it would be a good public relations opportunity---err, I mean a sweet moment. He met with the kid and took him on a shopping spree. But here's the funny thing...the kid didn't recognize Young without his uniform and number. The mind of a three-year-old is sort of perfect. It's not about the player...it's about the uniform. If only Michael Young shared the same belief...